Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, USA (EVF) recently concluded its annual fund-raising through a series of 46 concerts throughout USA with grand success befitting 25 years of its operation. Every year EV’, whose administrative cost is in single digit, raises millions of dollars for eradicating illiteracy in remote tribal areas of India and for creating integrated development in those villages.
This year was no exception. As of this moment there are over 52,000 ‘Ekal Schools’ dispensing functional literacy to nearly 1.5 million underprivileged children throughout India, including Jammu & Kashmir, irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
In last six years, Ekal has doubled the number of underdeveloped villages that it serves. Now, there are 45 Ekal-Chapters spread all over USA, supported by over 1,000 dedicated volunteers who have devoted their time, energy and resources to this largest ‘Literacy Cause’ undertaken by NRIs. Considering this growth and the overwhelming response of its patrons, EVF has appointed Ranjani Saigal as its Executive Director for her sterling credentials to coordinate various aspects of its sprawling administration in USA.
Ms Saigal will spearhead EVF’s ambitious agenda of community outreach programs in USA, streamline its fund-raising activities, promote Ekal’s cause and interact with support system in India. A graduate of “IIT” Mumbai and University of Florida in Engineering & Computer Science, Ranjani Saigal has 25 years of experience in ‘Education Technology’ at ‘Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( “MIT “) where she facilitated development and deployment of several teaching tools and gaining accolades along the way. She is co-founder of popular e-magazine ‘Lokvani.com’ and serves on the board of several social enterprises.
Hailing the appointment, Subhash Gupta, Chairman of board of ‘EVF’, not only complimented Ms Saigal for her passion and commitment for education and mentoring of several non-profit organizations in the past, but also, expressed his trust in her leadership.
According to Ranjani Saigal, her immediate task at EVF “will be to closely work with Ekal’s Executive branch, various Chapter Presidents, and its key volunteers across USA and enhance interaction, cooperation between the ‘central body and satellite chapter-teams”. A ceaseless bundle of energy, Ms. Saigal has already taken reins of her responsibilities and plans to unveil her vision for ‘Ekal’ at the national meeting in Chicago, on September 21-22.
There is special significance to this year’s gathering. This year also marks the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the spiritual master of the modern age. It was his vision for educating the poor masses that has propelled the ‘Ekal Movement’ in the first place. On September 11 (“9/11”), 1893 in Chicago, it was Swamiji who for the first time gave a profound message of Peace, Harmony and ‘Universal Brotherhood’ to global humanity and took it by storm with his unique spiritual concept of inter connectivity of global souls.
Shyamji Gupta, the founding member of EVF is specially flying in from India to join Ekal’s Chicago gathering not only to celebrate this all-embracing positive meaning of “9/11” , but also, to propagate the ‘unopened gift’ of ‘Peace and Harmony’ that Swami Vivekananda has left behind for all of us to follow.
India Post News Service
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